Very shortly 2016 will become another year that becomes our past. For some 2016 has been a wonderful year filled with great memories and new beginnings. Maybe it was a new marriage, a new baby, kids graduating, any number of events. For others it has been a very hard year with job loss, death of a special friend or family member and broken relationships.

Whatever happened in 2016 everyone reading this can say “We Survived!” It’s time to move forward into 2017 with great anticipation and expectation. Do you have a bucket list, a wish list, a hope for list? If so make something great happen, shoot for the stars!

If you are that person that finds a way to worry about worrying, did you know that about 98 percent of everything you wasted time on worrying about will never happen? Worry creates stress, anger and loss of hope. It will literally make you sick. There are a couple of sayings that come to mind; Don’t worry be happy! or Why worry when you can pray? We need to figure out how to apply both of these to our lives Worry can kill your dreams, especially if you have surrounded yourself with negative people who support Mr. Worry!

2017 may be the year you stop long enough to take a long hard, honest look at yourself. Are you your own worst enemy? Do you seriously need to make the changes in your life that you have been putting off for years? Look for people who believe in you, who will encourage you and are willing to help you, not hinder your life changing process. You may meet obstacles on your new journey but you can overcome them. Take action! Give yourself a chance to accomplish your goals and dreams even when you feel like everything you are doing is moving in baby steps. This New Year may be the year you decide to build your faith, pray more, study your Bible more, and search for the relationship with God you have always wanted. Go for it! Do it! It’s your choice.

2017 could be the year you get victory over an addiction by taking that first step to sobriety, or finding a way to overcome a spending problem so you can become financially stable or hundreds of other life controlling issues. Be an overcomer, be victorious! After all it is your life so give yourself the freedom to become all you can be in 2017! Don’t let yourself become hostage to fear or other people’s opinions!

Sarah and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, SAFE, New Year holiday season.